Schecter Guitar Research Hellraiser C-9 Electric Guitar Black Cherry

This guitar combines all the elements of modern electric playability with a controllable scale length weight and ease of controls; especially for a 9 string.

Unplugged, this marvel rings its strings freely and sings! It almost feels like playing an acoustic guitar! To feel a need for any more sustain would be unreasonable and only achieved by electronic modulation. I find myself enjoying the feeling and sound of the guitar as it resonates even while unplugged

The finish on this is absolutely stunning, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. The deep tones are complimented by the sustain in the pickups for a massive wall of sound. As for cons, it's fairly standard for 8+ stringed guitars. The neck is massive, which makes it unwieldy to play. The wideness also makes it hard to store, as it won't fit many cases or stands.

I rarely play live any more and mostly record at home so I was skeptical regarding the utility of this instrument. After playing it, it's definitely just a bass stacked on a six string. It has been a lot of fun writing compositions that flow across the strings more so than the interplay between separate bass and six string guitars. I like the fretboard much more than the ibanez counterpart but wish that the neck were more like the ibanez in terms of smooth feel (hate a painted neck). The c# string will rattle a bit but no more than a bass guitar. The EMGs have a fantastic sound and keep the c# from being too muddy. Great for clean or distorted. The locking tuners are essential! Aesthetically,its very nice. No flaws whatsoever. Beautiful paint job and finish. Would like to have the tone volume knobs moved back about an inch At this price, a case of some type should be included.

A must have for any guitarist that wants explore musical territory with going beyond a six- or even seven-string!!